Systems and methods for managing virtual desktops in a windowing environment

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing virtual desktops in a windowing environment are provided. One embodiment of the present invention is a method for managing virtual desktops in a windowing environment. Briefly described, one such method comprises the steps of: receiving a selection of a number of virtual desktops to be supported in a windowing environment; and based on the number of selected virtual desktops, defining a multi-dimensional navigation space to be used as a logical navigation reference for enabling a user to navigate between the virtual desktops, the multi-dimensional navigation space comprising a plurality of related logical states, each of the related logical states corresponding to one of the virtual desktops; receiving a predetermined navigation command, the predetermined navigation command specifying a next logical state in the multi-dimensional navigation space that is associated with a current logical state; and in response to the predetermined navigation command, displaying the virtual desktop corresponding to the next logical state.

Therefore, having thus described the invention, at least the following is claimed:  
     
         1 . A method for managing virtual desktops in a windowing environment, the method comprising the steps of: 
 receiving a selection of a number of virtual desktops to be supported in a windowing environment;    based on the number of selected virtual desktops, defining a multi-dimensional navigation space to be used as a logical navigation reference for enabling a user to navigate between the virtual desktops, the multi-dimensional navigation space comprising a plurality of related logical states, each of the related logical states corresponding to one of the virtual desktops.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: 
 receiving a predetermined navigation command, the predetermined navigation command specifying a next logical state in the multi-dimensional navigation space that is associated with a current logical state; and    in response to the predetermined navigation command, displaying the virtual desktop corresponding to the next logical state.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of receiving a predetermined navigation command involves detecting a predetermined key stroke on a keyboard.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of receiving a predetermined navigation command involves detecting the manner in which an interactive three-dimensional object is manipulated.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the interactive three-dimensional object comprises an icon displayed on at least one of the virtual desktops.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of defining a multi-dimensional navigation space further comprises associating each of the virtual desktops with one of the faces of a three-dimensional geometric solid.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising the step of displaying a three-dimensional representation of a least two of the virtual desktops at the same time.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of, while displaying the virtual desktop corresponding to the current logical state, providing notification of system activity on at least one of the other virtual desktops.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the step of providing notification of system activity on at least one of the other virtual desktops further comprises providing a visual cue.  
     
     
         10 . A computer program embodied in a computer-readable medium for managing virtual desktops in a windowing environment, the computer program comprising logic configured to: 
 determine a selection of a number of virtual desktops to be supported in a windowing environment; and    based on the number of selected virtual desktops, generate a multi-dimensional navigation space to be used as a logical navigation reference for enabling a user to navigate between the virtual desktops, the multi-dimensional navigation space comprising a plurality of related logical states, each of the related logical states corresponding to one of the virtual desktops.    
     
     
         11 . The computer program of  claim 10 , further comprising logic configured to: 
 receive a predetermined navigation command corresponding to the multi-dimensional navigation space from the user, the predetermined navigation command specifying a next logical state in the multi-dimensional navigation space that is associated with a current logical state; and    in response to the predetermined navigation command, display the virtual desktop corresponding to the next logical state.    
     
     
         12 . The computer program of  claim 10 , wherein the logic configured to receive the predetermined navigation command further comprises logic configured to detect a predetermined key stroke on a keyboard.  
     
     
         13 . The computer program of  claim 10 , further comprising logic configured to display an interactive three-dimensional geometric solid corresponding to the multi-dimensional navigation space and wherein the logic configured to receive the predetermined navigation command further comprises logic configured to detect the manner in which the interactive three-dimensional geometric solid is manipulated.  
     
     
         14 . The computer program of  claim 13 , wherein the interactive three-dimensional geometric solid comprises an icon displayed on at least one of the virtual desktops.  
     
     
         15 . The computer program of  claim 10 , wherein the multi-dimensional navigation space comprises a three-dimensional geometric solid and further comprising logic configured to associate each of the virtual desktops with one of the faces of the three-dimensional geometric solid.  
     
     
         16 . The computer program of  claim 15 , further comprising logic configured to display at least two of the virtual desktops at the same time in a three-dimensional representation.  
     
     
         17 . The computer program of  claim 10 , further comprising logic configured to provide notification to the user of system activity occurring on one of the virtual desktops that is not currently displayed.  
     
     
         18 . The computer program of  claim 17 , wherein the logic configured to provide notification further comprises logic configured to provide an audio cue.  
     
     
         19 . A system for providing multi-dimensional navigation in a virtual desktop environment, the system comprising: 
 logic configured to provide a virtual desktop windowing environment in a graphical user interface;    logic configured to generate, based on a predetermined number of virtual desktops, a multi-dimensional navigation space stored in memory and to be used as a logical navigation reference for enabling a user to navigate between the predetermined number of virtual desktops, the multi-dimensional navigation space comprising a plurality of logically associated states, each of the logically associated states corresponding to one of the predetermined number of virtual desktops; and    logic configured to control the manner in which the predetermined number of virtual desktops are displayed by responding to a predetermined navigation command, the predetermined navigation command specifying a next logical state in the multi-dimensional navigation space that is associated with a current logical state.    
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the logic configured to control the manner in which the predetermined number of virtual desktops are displayed further comprises logic configured to detect a predetermined key stroke on a keyboard.  
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 19 , further comprising logic configured to display an interactive three-dimensional geometric solid corresponding to the multi-dimensional navigation space and wherein the logic configured to control the manner in which the predetermined number of virtual desktops are displayed further comprises logic configured to detect the manner in which the interactive three-dimensional geometric solid is manipulated.  
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the interactive three-dimensional geometric solid comprises an icon displayed on at least one of the virtual desktops.  
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the multi-dimensional navigation space comprises a three-dimensional geometric solid and further comprising logic configured to associate each of the virtual desktops with one of the faces of the three-dimensional geometric solid.  
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , further comprising logic configured to display at least two of the virtual desktops at the same time in a three-dimensional representation.  
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 19 , further comprising logic configured to provide notification to the user of system activity occurring on one of the virtual desktops that is not currently displayed.  
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the logic is configured to provide notification further comprises logic configured to provide an audio cue.  
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 19 , further comprising a processing device and wherein the logic is stored in memory.  
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 19 , further comprising a display device and a mouse configured to enable the user to interface with the graphical user interface.  
     
     
         29 . A system for managing virtual desktops in a windowing environment, the system comprising: 
 a means for providing a virtual desktop windowing environment in a graphical user interface;    a means for generating, based on a predetermined number of virtual desktops, a multi-dimensional navigation space to be used as a logical navigation reference for enabling a user to navigate between the predetermined number of virtual desktops, the multi-dimensional navigation space comprising a plurality of logically associated states, each of the logically associated states corresponding to one of the predetermined number of virtual desktops; and    a means for controlling the manner in which the predetermined number of virtual desktops are displayed in the graphical user interface by responding to a predetermined navigation command, the predetermined navigation command specifying a next logical state in the multi-dimensional navigation space that is associated with a current logical state.    
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 29 , further comprising a means for displaying an interactive three-dimensional geometric solid corresponding to the multi-dimensional navigation space in the graphical user interface and wherein the means for controlling the manner in which the predetermined number of virtual desktops are displayed further comprises a means for detecting the manner in which the interactive three-dimensional geometric solid is manipulated via the graphical user interface.  
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the interactive three-dimensional geometric solid comprises an icon displayed on at least one of the virtual desktops.  
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 29 , further comprising a means for providing notification to the user of system activity occurring on one of the virtual desktops that is not currently displayed.